Keeping Fire Alive
by AmbrielleReynolds
Summary: Based on an alternative scenario of what could have happened once Peeta told the world Katniss was pregnant in Catching Fire. How will the games be affected, if at all, and how long can they keep up their story? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

"I wouldn't have any regrets if it weren't…" Peeta exclaimed dropping the timbre of his voice to sell the sadness of what he was about to say.

"What? Tell us…what?" Caesar prodded, anticipation and desire practically dripping from him. Peeta looked down as though he were unable to face the terrible weight of what his next few words would mean.

"…if it weren't for the baby." Immediately the room was filled with gasps, a swirling mixture of horror and surprise. The group was collectively upset with the prospect of sending someone carrying a child into the games. Even they, with their blindness to the horrors outside the capital, felt this was beyond acceptable.

Many anonymously shouted to cancel the games or do something to account for this new development but Katniss knew that these protests were empty and hollow. If it meant leaving the comfort of their seats or identifying themselves individually as opposed to the games, the cries of opposition would dwindle to none.

Caesar was losing control of the crowd and as Peeta took his place beside her and Katniss grabbed the hand of the man next to her the lights fell and the cameras stopped. If residents in the capital were opposed then the districts would be full on rioting so the broadcast had to stop before more fuel was added to the fire.

Standing in the darkness of the stage, Katniss smiled to herself. She and Peeta had been told to say whatever they could to try and stop the games but she had had no idea he was going to drop such a bombshell. It wasn't true of course. There had been no secret wedding and she had zero chance of being pregnant since she was still a virgin.

She had gone through every emotion in the span of a few seconds, from shock to rage to finding the entire episode amusing. She wanted to kill Peeta for not giving her warning of his plan but had to admit it was probably best because when the camera's had panned in her direction to reveal genuine shock plastered across her face people believed it was shock from the news becoming public rather than shock of it being untrue. Peeta reached for her hand as the competitors were herded off the stage and she took it before slapping his arm with her free hand.

"How could you do that?" she whispered leaning into him. She wasn't overly worried about others overhearing her as they wouldn't know she meant lying but she didn't want Caesar to catch wind of her being upset and call her back for an interview about what was going through her mind. She could play the pregnancy story but she was never good at interviews. Knowing her luck she would say something wrong and expose the entire thing as a fabrication.

"Ow!" Peeta yelped more in surprise than in pain. "I was just doing what I was told. I'm sorry but I didn't know I was going to say it until you were already on stage in that wedding dress…you looked beautiful by the way." Katniss slapped him again but couldn't help but smirk at the compliment.

By now they were off the stage and the others had scattered to their coaches and dressers. Effie and Haymitch greeted them with stone expressions and Haymitch pressed a finger to his lips in warning to avoid conversation until they were home.

This was big and they couldn't risk someone overhearing something that would reveal the truth. In silence the group walked to the train and sat uncomfortably for the journey home. As soon as the door to the apartment had closed, Katniss turned to the team and voiced the things that had been playing through her mind since the announcement.

"What the hell were you thinking Peeta? Now we are going to be the center of attention and scrutinized even more closely than before." She barked not caring that Effie would scold her for manners later.

Peeta didn't say anything but just shrugged with a smile and laughed nervously. He was more concerned about the reaction of Haymitch who was just watching the interaction play out.

"So…does that mean it is true or it's not true?" Effie questioned innocently. This made Katniss feel exasperated as how dense Effie could be.

"Ugh! Of course it isn't true! I'm not married to Peeta or having his baby!" Katniss insisted loudly throwing up her hands and turning to walk away. She had only taken a few steps when Haymitch broke his silence.

"Katniss…I know it wasn't what you were expecting but you have to admit that the baby bomb was actually a good idea. Look, the games are just a few days away and assuming nothing changes we still have some work to do. You are right. People are going to be watching you both now more than ever and you have to sell it. If they find out it is all a lie then you might as well die in that arena because the public and the government will turn you into an enemy." He explained while pouring himself a drink from the nearby bar.

Katniss felt her face becoming hot and the frustration over knowing Haymitch was probably correct make her tear up. "So what are we supposed to do then? I mean people are going to know it was a lie eventually. It's not like I can magically not be pregnant or married anymore if the games _are_ cancelled. And if they aren't and I survive then people will expect news of a baby in a few months." She retorted, no longer shouting but almost sounding defeated.

She dropped to the couch and Peeta followed, placing a hand softly over hers but she pulled away and glared his direction. "I'm sorry Katniss. I didn't think about that…" he offered, "I was just trying to save you…" The last part was barely audible and Katniss knew this was Peeta bearing his sole. He truly loved her and she couldn't understand why since she had behaved with little above indifference to him since the last games. The only time she showed him any love in return was in front of the cameras and crowds when their love story was supposed to be on display. It wasn't that she actually felt indifferent toward him; it was that she didn't know how to show him she cared about him. Haymitch had been right when he said she didn't deserve him.

"Alright listen you two. You just worry about making allies and surviving out there. I will try to come up with a plan. Katniss, this is hard for you but when you are in public you sell yourself. You protect your stomach, you love your husband and baby's father. You let Peeta be protective of you. In this instance I want you to appear fragile...weak…got it?" Haymitch demanded earning only a silent nod from Katniss. Turning his attention to Peeta he continued his rant, "and Peeta. You would give up your life to save your wife and child. You never leave her side and present yourself as beyond happy to be a father but beyond sad about the circumstances. I want you to hold her, touch her belly, kiss her hand…anything you think sells that you are in love. As much as you were "in love" before, that is child's play compared to how you should be now. You need to communicate to people that this baby is the ultimate symbol of the love you two share and you want nothing more than to protect it."

Peeta shook his head in understanding and looked to Katniss to read her opinion of the tasks he had been given. She had a hard enough time selling the passion of dating. She didn't like the physical intimacy they had to display and it showed as soon as she let her guard down. Now she had to let Peeta touch her more than ever before and he hoped that she could handle it while appearing genuine.

"Do you think you can do this Katniss?" he questioned again placing his hand over hers. She didn't pull away like before and shifted her weight to better face him.

"I don't see that I have much choice," she responded coldly. The icy tone of her voice took him back but not as much as the warmth of her lips crashing into his own and the hunger he'd never felt from her before poured into the kiss. He felt her tongue brush his lips begging for entrance and gladly granted it all while bringing his palm to rest at her jaw line. For a moment he forgot it wasn't real. The passion felt so authentic and the kiss was deepening with every moment. He felt the heat growing in his stomach and pulled away afraid that any more would push him over the edge. He had dreamt of a kiss like that and of Katniss wanting him in such a way. Experiencing it, even simulated, left him breathless.

He had little time to enjoy the moment before Katniss stood and looked to Haymitch for approval. Haymitch stayed paused in surprise but clearly impressed with the display. As Katniss brushed past him he cleared his throat. "Yeah…that will do." He approved and brought his glass to his lips, quickly downing the alcohol within.

Peeta stayed frozen to the couch for a few minutes more before rising and taking to his bedroom. Katniss had really been holding back on him, he thought, and he planned to make sure she knew he had been holding back too. Two could play that game.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, silence was broken by a knock on the apartment door. Knowing Haymitch was probably passed out and Effie and Katniss had rooms furthest from the door, Peeta pulled himself from the bed begrudgingly and stumbled through the darkness of the bedroom to go answer the door.

He wasn't quick enough and the knock came again, sounding more impatient. The sunlight from the windows streamed into the hallway and Peeta covered the last few yards in bounds in an attempt to avoid a third knock.

He knew it was early but didn't know how early and didn't want to wake the entire apartment. He grabbed the handle and gave the cool metal handle a quick tug to reveal a man he had never seen before wearing a suit on the other side. In his hand was an envelope stamped with an official government seal and Peeta had a feeling it had something to do with the games and his announcement.

"Can I help you?" he offered standing up straight in the doorway.

"Yes. Is a Mrs. Katniss Everdeen Melark here?" the man requested making Peeta twitch at the mention of Katniss having his last name.

It made sense he decided since everyone now believed they were married and most women took the last name of their husband but it still sounded foreign to hear it aloud.

"Um…she is still sleeping. Can I do something for you instead?" he submitted hoping the man would deal with him instead of insisting on speaking with Katniss. The man sighed annoyed and looked to the envelope in his hand.

"I suppose. Please give this to Mrs. Melark and tell her we will expect her tomorrow at three." He extended handing the paper to Peeta and turning to walk away. As soon as he had taken a few steps down the corridor, Peeta shoved the door closed and ran with the envelope in hand down the hall to wake the others.

"Haymitch, Effie, Katniss…come out here. Katniss just received an official letter. I think it has something to do with the games." Peeta alerted loudly. Satisfied that all had heard him, he returned to the living area to wait for them to convene. There were squeaks of beds and the soft thumps of feet hitting carpet until in turn each bedroom door opened to reveal its sleepy inhabitant.

Katniss wiped the sleep from her eyes and Effie tied the string of her vibrant robe all while stumbling to the living area. Haymitch was the last to stir but in time appeared before the group surprisingly alert for the hangover he must have had. Once he had taken a seat next to Effie, Peeta handed him the envelope so that he could read it first.

He knew it was technically for Katniss but felt Haymitch would understand the official jargon better than the others. Haymitch scanned the page of the note within for a few minutes and the longer he read the more worried Peeta became. His expression gave away that the contents of the letter were not good news and everyone was waiting on baited breath for him to finally say something.

Eventually he set it aside and looked to Katniss who was now completely awake. She was fidgeting with her braid and trying to look brave. Word from the government was rarely a good thing, something they all knew well.

"Well…they have made a decision about the games. They will go on but with a few changes. First, the rules state that a single male and female contestant from each district complete and because you are pregnant you constitute two people. They are going to test your blood to determine if the child you carry is a boy or a girl. If it is a boy, you will compete in the games alone so that one female and one male from district twelve are present in the arena and no more. If it is a girl, you will not be allowed to complete because there would be two females in the arena and because there are no other female victors from district twelve, one of your female family members must take your place. So that there is time for the tests to be completed, they have decided to delay the start of the games by one week. You and Peeta will also be doing interviews during that time to let people know what it is like to be in your situation." With every word from Haymitch's mouth Katniss felt her stomach knot tighter and fear creep in.

Peeta sensed the panic coursing through her and placed an arm around her in comfort as she gladly leant into his support. Her thoughts were racing but no words formed. Thankfully, Peeta's mind seemed to comprehend a bit better and he was thinking the same things she was.

"But Katniss isn't actually pregnant. As soon as they test her blood they are going to know and they will probably kill us both for lying. What are we going to do?" he held wishing he hadn't been so stupid.

Both felt doomed. Effie looked at the two young victors trying to think of something, anything she could do. Suddenly an idea sprung to mind and she couldn't help but smile at herself for being so quick. "What if we get someone who is pregnant though? I mean what if we get a sample of their blood and pass it off as Katniss'?" she sang.

The three others looked at her in disbelief and silence but Haymitch began to nod his head. "Actually, that isn't a bad idea and with a little help from some friends of mine it just might work." he replied.

Katniss couldn't believe how calm they seemed about everything all the sudden. Then again, they weren't the ones who had to go through medical procedures.

"We don't have much time. The test is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. I need to go speak with someone as soon as possible. Effie, do you know someone we can trust to get a sample from?" Haymitch continued, the gears turning in his head.

Effie dropped her head a little in defeat. "No…I don't know who to trust anymore." She sighed convinced her idea was now flawed. Silence stayed between them for a moment until Peeta jumped to his feet.

"I do!" he happily answered, "I have to get back to district twelve but I have a brother whose wife is expecting. She had just found out when I left so I am sure she hasn't delivered yet and I can trust them. Do you think I have time to get there and back though?"

Haymitch considered it for an instant and then told Peeta that he did if he left immediately.

Everyone was suddenly moving and planning but Katniss was still plastered to her seat. She was thinking about what the letter had said. If she could give a sample of blood that said she was going to have a boy, Peeta could go home. She could help save him like she wanted. If Peeta's sister-in-law was pregnant with a girl though, she would be condemning her mother or sister to death.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked stopping the others in their plans.

"What?" Peeta questioned a bit confused.

"The baby. Your brother's baby. Is it a boy or a girl?" she repeated adamantly.

"Oh…um I don't know. There is no access to that technology back home. I know what you are thinking. If it is a girl then your mother or sister will probably die…but Katniss, if we don't do this they will probably kill them anyway. Snow is heartless and has been known to punish entire families for the acts of one member. He slaughted children, infants, because their parents had done wrong. We have to do this and hope for the best." Peeta fought expectant that Katniss would understand the gravity of the situation.

She knew he was right. It wasn't a good option but it was the best one she had and fighting would do no good anyway. It would only waste precious time they didn't have and end with the same result.

She nodded in understanding and Peeta raced off to gather his things to leave. He would travel by train six hours there and back and take a vial and needle with him. Katniss's mother could show him how to take the blood properly there so he didn't need to be taught before. Haymitch dressed all the while mumbling to himself and slipped out the door to go speak with his friend. Katniss and Effie were left alone in the apartment with little to say.

Eventually Katniss rose and padded her way back to the bedroom. It was still early and she wanted to catch a few more hours of sleep before having to face the rest of the world.


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss awoke to a knock at her bedroom door and the squeak of its hinges giving way to allow the knocker entry. It was Effie, dressed for the day in her usual over the top garb. She walked to the heavy curtains cloaking the room in darkness and drew them back revealing bright streams of sunlight that instantly bathed Katniss in white. Katniss averted her eyes trying to adjust to the sudden intensity of the light in the room. Effie smiled and came to rest on the edge of Katniss' bed, placing a hand on the girl's leg like one would imagine a mother would do when waking her child. "It is time to get out of bed. There is much to do and you have visitors." She pushed gently but maintaining her usual formal tone. Katniss nodded in understanding and lifted herself to a seated position wondering if the visitors were Haymitch's friends or another government official. The lack of stress in Effie's voice told her it was probably the former and she perked up a bit. "I'm sorry you are going through all of this dear. I really hoped you would have a better life once you won the games. You are incredibly brave and I admire your strength…yours and Peeta's." Effie proclaimed sadly. The charade of formality had left her and Katniss could feel that in this moment Effie was speaking to her as a friend. Katniss looked to her lap and then back to Effie who had tears in her eyes and placed a hand of comfort on the bright pink sleeve of Effie's outfit. It was nice to see Effie so human Katniss decided and she felt a bond with Effie forming that she never had before. As if she suddenly realized she was being unprofessional, Effie stood, straightened her skirt, and headed for the door. "I'll leave you to get dressed. "she spoke in explanation and slipped out the door leaving Katniss alone.

After throwing on clothing that was comfortable but still acceptable for company, Katniss exited her room and made her way toward the talking she heard coming from the living area. She recognized the voice of a man and woman but couldn't quite place a face until she rounded the corner to reveal the group. Haymitch was seated with his back to her and the clinking of ice against glass told her that he had a drink in his hand. Effie was by the window and on the couch were the pair whose voices she had been trying to place. She was surprised to see it was two of her fellow competitors, Beetee and Wiress from District 3. She had had a short conversation with them during training but had no idea they had history with Haymitch. Her entrance didn't go unnoticed and Beetee looked up from his discussion to glance her direction. Haymitch took this cue and shifted in his chair so that he could look her direction. Katniss suddenly felt shy and self-conscious amongst the group. She longed for Peeta to be next to her as she drew more strength from him than he knew. She missed his strong grip of her showing her that everything would be okay and the touch of his arm around her waist providing her support in the uncomfortable situations. "Katniss!" Haymitch greeted toasting her with his glass, "come…sit down. I believe you have met my friend's in the past, Beetee and Wiress." The two dipped their heads in turn at the mention of their names as if they were bowing to her. She did the same out of respect and found her seat next to Effie. "Hello, yes we met in the training arena. Nice to see you both again." She stressed mentally calculating the decorousness of her voice so as not to appear ill mannered. She assumed they were the ones Haymitch had sought to help with their little problem and she had to display that she was grateful for whatever they could do. Wiress laughed in the same nervous manner she had when Katniss asked her the question about the force field and Beetee extended his hand to greet Katniss. As soon as she had settled, Haymitch resumed conversation to catch Katniss up with all that had been discussed before she had joined them. "So, as you are probably aware, Beetee and Wiress are technology geniuses. They can invent just about anything." He began. Katniss shook her head to signal she understood and leaned forward to indicate he could continue. "Well, we go way back and I would trust them with my life. I have told them of our predicament and they have agreed to help us." Katniss felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and terror rising up her spine. How could Haymitch know if he could really trust them she thought? What if they betrayed him and turned her and Peeta in to eliminate their competition? She tried to hide the fears running through her mind but she guessed she was obvious because Haymitch looked at her and reiterated his statement from before. "Katniss I would put my life in their hands and I assure you that you can do the same. They are against the capital and the systems that have been put in place and we have discussed at great lengths the possibilities of a better future." Katniss looked at him in confusion, unable to process how all of that could relate to the problem at hand. "How can they help me with this? What can technology do to convince medical personnel I am pregnant?" she submitted questioningly. Haymitch was about to continue his explanations when Beetee spoke up. "Actually, Wiress and I have developed something that I believe will effectively convince them you are with child. It is a small, flat device that we will insert under the skin of your lower abdomen. When doctors perform an ultrasound, as they will probably do in addition to the blood test, it will appear on the screen as a fetus would in an actual pregnancy. In conjunction with this, the device is equipped with a steady rhythm that is indistinguishable from a heartbeat so that there will be little doubt that the image they see is indeed a fetus and not some sort of growth." Beetee explained willingly. Katniss was fascinated with every word he said but unsure how such a device could actually be possible. She was impressed with the idea and relaxed feeling slightly more optimistic that she could pull this off. With help from the people in this room and from Peeta who was probably halfway to district twelve by now, she was going to trick the world into believing she was pregnant. It was still risky and there was a lot that could go wrong but she was finally feeling like it might be possible. "Wow. Is it going to hurt? How are we going to keep them from noticing the cut from where we have to insert the device?" she said half rambling and half concerned with the new problems she foresaw. This time is was Wiress who spoke, sounding more confident than Katniss had ever heard her. "The incision will be barely larger than a centimeter and lower than where your clothing covers. There is a chance they will not even see it. We should do it as soon as possible however and then place healing cream over the wound so that by tomorrow it will just look like an old scratch. If they do say something about it would should say you hurt yourself during training. It has to go fairly deep and will be painful but we will have to do it without any anesthesia because we have no access to that and if they accidently take some of your blood the chemicals would still be present in trace amounts. We can't risk that." Wiress addressed. With this Katniss was satisfied that they had sufficiently considered the problems she might encounter. All that was left to do was to insert the device and she was ready. Pain was something she had experienced before and she reasoned that it would probably feel no worse than the cuts and burns she had received in the hunger games last year. "Alright, let's do it then. " She stated standing to her feet expectantly. Beetee stood too and pulled a small case from his pocket. "Would you like to see it? I will need to go back to our apartment and fetch some materials for the surgical procedure first but I brought the device itself her with me." He offered, fiddling with the metal box in his hands. Katniss leaned in to view what was within and was surprised at how small the thing was. It was mostly flat, only a few millimeters in thickness, and was rounded to a sliver along the edge. It looked like nothing more than a red button with no holes. How it could possibly do all he had promised she didn't know but she was going to have to trust them. After showing the device to Effie and Haymitch, Beetee returned it to his pocket and helped Wiress to her feet. "We will go prepare the instruments we need to insert it and be back in an hour. If you could bathe so that your skin is as clean as possible and dress yourself in some sort of robe or cloak with nothing underneath but your undergarments that would be helpful." He suggested making his way to the door, "Wiress will do the actual procedure so that you will feel more comfortable having to be so exposed." Katniss indicated she would and thanked them both for being willing to risk helping her. The group all knew that if they were found out the punishment would be death so she was still powerless to understand why they would help her, their competition. She would question Haymitch later but decided she had enough to think about for the time being. "I don't know why you are doing this for me but whatever the reason, thank you…I am forever indebted to you." She concluded. Beetee looked back to her from the doorway with a look of acceptance. "You are the mocking jay. We need you." He claimed and turned shutting the door behind him before she could ask him for clarification. She felt she was missing something, a piece of the puzzle that would make it all become clear. Haymitch placed his hand heavily on her shoulder, shaking her from her thoughts. "Go get ready Katniss. There is no time to waste." He demanded. She considered asking him for an explanation but she could see from the look on his face that he would offer her none.


End file.
